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Sports Academy: Ken Campbell puts in 80 hours a month as the first technical director of the Sunshine Coast Youth Soccer Association

GIBSONS — Ken Campbell is as full time as it gets working in youth soccer on the Sunshine Coast.

The 43-year-old father of three is a crane operator at Howe Sound Pulp & Paper, 7 to 5, Monday to Thursday. He also puts in 80 hours a month as the first technical director of the Sunshine Coast Youth Soccer Association.

He was hired two summers ago with the aim of getting more kids involved, more volunteer coaches up to speed, and more players kicking on to higher levels.

Campbell knows the area’s challenges first hand. Born in Newcastle, England, he’s long been a coach and board member on the Sunshine Coast, where he’s lived almost his entire life.

He also has a son, Jagger, who plays Metro soccer and is trying out for the B.C. Soccer Premier League with Mountain United FC. Jagger arrived home around midnight on Monday.

“It’s a big commitment for kids to travel to Vancouver,” said Campbell, who grew up playing for provincial and youth national teams and, as a teenager, spent time with Fulham’s reserves in London.

“As much as the cost, it’s more about the time. It’s your whole day. During the week, they’re on the ferry at 4:30 and home after 11 at night.

“But the kids who want to excel, they’re definitely committed. Three years ago, we didn’t have anyone playing in the city. Now we have seven kids, so things are getting better.

Campbell hopes the community will soon see a player make it to the B.C. Premier League, maybe one day crack a Whitecaps residency roster.

Zach Karmel, who attended Elphinstone Secondary, is among the best-known players to come out of the region in recent years. He was part of Whitecaps prospects camps growing up and is off to UBC in the fall.

Campbell figures the arrival of MLS in 2011 and the growth of the Caps’ residency program have helped some of the younger kids on the coast to dream big. But beyond the players with high-performance aspirations, he’s got plenty to keep him busy close to home.

Youth registration is up to 700 kids, Campbell said. On his watch, they’ve begun an “Active Start” program for three-to-five-year-olds — 80 kids signed up in the first month.

They also run three eight-week academies every year for U11s and U15s. And, in September, they’ve hired Mike Norris, a goalkeeping coach with UBC’s women’s team, to come over and run an academy.

“That’s something we’ve never had before,” Campbell said of the goalkeeping instruction, “so we’re excited about that.”

For the last two years, the association has partnered with the Caps to identify 20 or so kids who spend a weekend training with the Caps’ residency players in Vancouver and watch an MLS match at B.C. Place.

“When I grew up on the coast, there was no soccer here,” said Campbell. “Now there’s so much more going on for our kids.”

There’s a push to find funding and a location for a turf field with lights, to allow for more year-round programming. They need to raise about $1.4 million, Campbell said.

“We’re probably one of the only associations with 700 kids that doesn’t have a turf field. Powell River has a few.”

But his biggest goal and challenge — like many technical directors at clubs and associations both big and small — is to get all the volunteer coaches certified.

There are incentives. If parents take a coaching course, they get their child’s registration fee back. The course is also paid for.

Still, Campbell, who runs the coaching courses, admitted it’s been a struggle.

“We’re trying to get caught up,” he said. “We need our coaches trained properly and coaching the same way, working on player development.

“At the end of the day, it’s about having kids enjoying playing soccer, and producing players.”

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